A volunteer finds
literal Thanksgiving puppy love at the Orlando Pet Alliance.
Josh Davidson was never one for turkey and football.
There was no large family gathering planned for Thanksgiving. His grown son nabbed a holiday shift to earn extra money.
So Thursday, Davidson did what he usually does during the week.
He ate a piece of toast for breakfast in his car in the parking lot of Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, waiting for staffers and volunteers to arrive at 8 a.m.
Then, the Winter Garden resident spent his morning throwing the tennis ball for Feta to chase.
The nonprofit pet shelter, located down the street from the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, was closed to the public. But for a half day, Davidson and a few other volunteers played and exercised the 60 dogs with the hope that the social interaction will help the canines find new homes soon.
“It’s really meaningful to have the volunteers,” said Kathy Burns, the shelter’s director of operations. They also help out on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Davidson, 54, never owned a dog until he was 46. Then he fell in love with a terrier mix.
“It sounds cliche but something just clicked,” said the New York native who used to work in public relations. “Look what I missed out on my entire life.”
He has logged 445 hours at the Orlando shelter since December 2015. He usually volunteers at least three days a week.
For Davidson, Feta stands out. The tannish-colored dog is about a year and a half old and has been available for adoption since Oct. 17, after her puppies were old enough to leave her.
Like their mom, the six puppies were named after cheeses. Unlike Feta, they were adopted around Halloween.
At first, she seemed scared of Davidson, he said. She curled up in the corner with her tail between her legs. She growled. So he waited patiently. He didn’t know her past — if someone had loved her or if she had been lost.
He simply sat by her. Then he left her alone.
One day, about a week ago, Davidson tried again.
Feta licked his face and climbed into his lap.
On Thanksgiving, they played together again.
Feta seemed like a different animal than when he had first met her, Davidson said. She bounded in the dog playroom, her tongue hanging out, her tail wagging frantically.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” he said.